StormWise Automotive Hail Repair took three times longer than it originally quoted to fix hail damage.
A Lakewood, CO, auto body shop is facing a lawsuit from a former customer for taking three months to fix her vehicle after it was damaged by hail.
Shirley Dale took her Honda CR-V to StormWise Automotive Hail Repair on July 11 for the repairs. The shop told her it would take four weeks, but 12 weeks later, she still didn’t have her SUV. She finally got it back Oct. 4, the day after Denver7 Investigates aired a news story about Dale and other customers enduring long waits for repairs at the shop.
Dale hired Dan Vedra, a consumer protection attorney, in September, who sent StormWise a letter, but it received no response.
Dale is suing StormWise for $10,000 for loss of use of her car, plus legal fees, to send a message.
"I shouldn't have to send demand letters. I shouldn't have to hire an attorney," Dale told Denver7 Investigates in a follow-up news story Oct. 10. "That's just not the expectation when you do business with people."
StormWise owner David Hobbs told the news outlet the delays were caused by a combination of parts backorders due to the UAW strike and insurance companies being slow to approve claims.
The Better Business Bureau reported there has been an increase in complaints about body shops in general in Colorado this year, possibly because more people needed repairs after storms earlier this year.
